


truth hurts

by Whatisthiswhatamidoing



Series: Like pulling teeth [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Edwin Jarvis' good parenting, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecure Tony, Maria Stark's A+ Parenting, Maria Stark's Bad Parenting, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Stockholm Syndrome, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Unreliable Narrator, like HELLA unreliable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 13:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21119231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whatisthiswhatamidoing/pseuds/Whatisthiswhatamidoing
Summary: At this point, Tony was ninety percent sure that Rhodey was delusional, since he kept going on about how getting locked in closets was abuse? what the hell?orTony lets something slip, realises some uncomfortable truths, and Rhodey freaks out(Prequel to babysitting duty)





	truth hurts

**Author's Note:**

> ...hi. fancy seeing you all here, in this verse that you probably thought i abandoned.
> 
> y'know what? i'll just see myself out

The thing is, Tony was used to being hated.

It was an unavoidable truth that permeates his every interaction with people. His peers, his teachers, the staff at home, his parents. It didn’t matter how hard he tried or what he did, they would always end up seeing through his mask into whatever part inside of him that made Tony a bad person.

Tony’s best (only) friend wasn’t any different. He met Rhodey because mit would only let someone as young as Tony attend if he had an older student looking out for him. The guy didn’t try to hide his displeasure of having _ Tony _ as his charge, and his stomach had clenched at the thought of someone seeing the evil piece of him within him with no effort at all.

Rhodey was smart, if nothing else but perceptive, and he would undoubtedly spread that fact around, which meant that nobody in their right mind would ever be friends with someone like _ him _ . Which was fine, he didn’t care. It just meant that he had more time to work on what was _ really _ important, his school work and weapons for SI (and maybe begin working on the AI that his father may or may not have specifically ordered him not to work on.)

But time passed, and nothing happened. And then Rhodey did the unthinkable, and _ apologised. _ Told Tony that he was sorry for judging him, and that he wanted to be friends.

That was a while ago, now, and for his first proper friendship in like, ever (Ty doesn’t count. Their relationship was more similar to competitors than friends), Tony thinks he’s doing pretty good. 

They were just talking like normal, working on their own individual projects, when the topic of family came up. Talking about his family always made his throat tighten for some reason, but he had grinned and nodded along with old people telling him how lucky he was to have a father like howard to be able to push through it. Rhodey was telling him about his home, his mama, and how much he missed her cooking.

Tony had chuckled. “Can’t really relate to that, honeybear. Jarvis usually cooked for me.”

“Oh yeah, Jarvis is your fancy butler, right?” Tony stayed silent. He shouldn’t have brought Jarvis up, not when any mention of him still made him choke back sobs. (His father made it a point to talk about him whenever Tony looked like he was taking what he had for granted.) “Tony?”

It didn’t matter if Tony didn’t want to talk about him, Rhodey would make him talk about it anyway. It was better just to get it over with. “Uh, no. Jarvis died last year. I cook for myself now.” his family only got together for dinner when somebody was over, and the staff would grumble and gripe about how spoiled he was when he asked for food, so he usually made his own dishes, just to stay out of everyone’s way.

“What about your mom, doesn’t she make food for you?” He glanced up, and tensed when he realised Rhodey’ full attention was on him. Tony tried not to squirm.

“Nah, she’s usually too busy to. Most times she isn’t even in the country!” he joked, “because she’s busy and has a lot of friends in italy, so she’s usually with them. Actually, whenever she’s home it’s me making dinner for her, since she always has her headaches.” He was surprised to find that his tone was veering dangerously close to bitter. He wasn’t mad that he wasn’t enough for her to stay at home, why would he be? “Sometimes it’s like _ I'm _ her mom!” He grinned at Rhodey, ready to laugh with him about the funny role reversal Tony had fallen into with his mother, but all he received was a worried stare.

He felt his already weak grin slowly fall. “Rhodey?”

“That… isn’t normal. You know that, right?”

Tony scoffed. “Uh, yeah, of course I know that,” of course it wasn’t normal, he was was Richie rich. He had no idea how the “lower classes” (as his mother would say,) lived. "It isn’t her fault by the way,” he added for good measure, “she’s just busy.”

Rhodey still had that crease between his eyebrows, and Tony geared himself up to defend his mother. Sure, he wished that he was more important to her, but she had her own life, and it wasn’t like she had completely abandoned him, it _ wasn’t _. She still remembered his birthdays, and sometimes even had time to call.

She was a lot nicer than dad was, anyway.

“Yeah, but…” Rhodey trailed off, looking uncomfortable, and Tony waited, his project could wait for another time. “You’re fifteen, man, you shouldn’t have to look after your mom. What about your dad?”

“Uh…” his stomach tightened, and he wasn’t sure why. He bit back the slight nausea, and the bratty part of him, larger than he would like to admit, whined, crying that _ it wasn’t fair _ , and that _ school was the only time he got to pretend his father didn’t exist why couldn’t he have that? Why why why- _

Objectively speaking, Howard was a good father, he taught him to be careful, (searing, white hot pain spreading through his palm, he needed to take what dad handed him, he couldn’t disappoint him, he _ couldn’t) _ , he made sure Tony strived to be better, (“you can’t just get through life with nothing but money, Anthony. if you want to accomplish anything useful, you have to have a bigger stick than the other guy”) and he saw to it that Tony didn’t get himself into trouble, (he’d been locked in the dark for hours and hours and hours, and he _ couldn’t breathe). _

But despite how often he was told how lucky he was to have a father like Howard, despite the amount of times tony had come home from studying abroad, repeating that sentence like a mantra, but his father was reminded of why he hated his son, Tony couldn’t help but want to avoid any mention of him, which just goes to show how spoiled and bratty he was. 

“I’m not really looking after my mom, just helping her out when she needs it y’know? Dad doesn’t really have the patience to help out mom,” he was about to add that his mom could sometimes get _ really _mean when she was like that, so it was even more of a reason for howard to avoid her, but the instant wave of guilt that came with bad-talking her like that made him hold his tongue. Rhodey remained silent, until Tony felt compelled to keep talking, if only to fill the suffocating silence that hung in the air. “Because, dad’s-- y’know, he’s busy. Like mom, so you can’t really disturb him when he’s working and stuff. Life of a CEO, huh?”

Rhodey just looked at him blankly, and Tony winced. _ Stupid, _ there was no way Rhodey could relate to that. God, he didn’t deserve him.

“Uh… yeah, sure. I guess I just can’t imagine my dad doing that, whenever mama gets sick, he practically calls 911. He makes this whole show out of it, at her every beck and call. She acts like she hates it, but everyone can tell she secretly loves it.” Rhodey grinned at the memory, and Tony practically felt himself growing green eyed with jealousy.

A quiet, murmured, “I wish my dad was like that,” escaped his lips before Tony could stop himself.

Even looking down at the table, Tony could practically feel Rhodey’s curiosity from where he was sitting. Made sense. Howard was the creator of a major weapons company, closely tied to the military, which Rhodey wanted to join. It made sense that he’d want to know who he’d be working with in the future. “_ So _, what’s your dad like?” Rhodey asked painfully trying to come off as casual and painfully failing. 

“Uh, a dad, I guess.” Tony supposed he should be promoting company propaganda, _ Howard is a genius, he revolutionised modern weapons, he created Captain America. _ But Rhodey was his friend, he deserved the truth. “There’s not much to say, dad taught me engineering, he’s really dedicated to his work,” he hesitated, debating whether or not to tack on his next sentence. his dad would kill him if he ever heard tony spout such blasphemy, but... he wasn’t here, was he? Tony might just get away with this, “...He’s _ obsessed _ with Captain America.” That brought out a delighted laugh out of Rhodey.

“I heard about that! I wasn’t sure if it was true, didn’t Captain America die like, forty years ago?”

“Yeah! He’s in the arctic every summer, he’s convinced his body hasn't been eaten by polar bears yet.” He smiled breathlessly, hardly believing that he actually said that. Tony almost felt drunk. He always felt like his father was constantly lurking in the background of his life, just waiting for Tony to inevitably make a mistake to crucify him, to make sure Tony was being a good son. The idea that dad wouldn’t lock him away for this, that he was _ safe, _ was so absurd, yet suddenly so attainable, Tony couldn’t help the bubbly feeling that made him grin like an idiot.

“Wow, every summer?”

“Yeah, my whole life. When I was little I _ really _wanted to go with him, I was almost as obsessed as he was! Dad had to lock me in the closet just so he could leave. I just really liked the idea of exploring the great arctic, I guess.” that was one of the first times he’d been locked in there, and it kind of put a downer on his own mood. At least Rhodey would get a kick out of it.

“Wait, sorry, _ what?” _

Tony blinked. “What?”

“You just said your dad locked you up in a closet.”

“Well, yeah?” Tony said. That should be pretty obvious. Perhaps Rhodey’s family didn’t do it, but it was pretty common, though maybe only rich kids got locked in closets. He made a mental note to ask Ty later.

Rhodey shook his head, looking at him as if Tony was blowing his mind. “Why would he do that to you??”

“Uh. I was being a brat. Clinging to his legs and crying and everything”

“No, Tony, dude, that is not normal!”

Tony stayed silent.

“Shit, Tony, what else does he do to you?” he froze and his voice suddenly became hard. “ does he hit you?”

Considering how he reacted to Tony being locked in the closet, he was very reluctant to answer. “...oh. Y’know. Not much at all, hardly ever, actually.”

“Hardly ever?” Rhodey squeaked. He sounded like he was in pain and Tony was very interested in changing the conversation.

“Yeah, only when I’ve _ really _ fucked up, other than that, I’m pretty lucky,” he knew that for all he hated getting locked in the closet, it was actually a very mild punishment, and Tony was lucky for having parents who didn’t whip his back open like some kids did. “We should probably get to work. isn’t your essay due in a few hours?”

“_ My essay can wait, Tony!” _ Rhodey exclaimed, apparently determined to continue this pointless conversation. “ _ Shit. _ Do you not know how fucked up this is? Do you need to talk, do I need to punch howard?” 

Tony had no trouble reading in between the lines, _ do you not know how fucked up you are, Tony? _ Yes, as a matter of fact, he did. He was aware that he was fucked up, for reasons he could never parse out. No matter where he went, he never fit in, and he didn’t need his friend to throw that in his face, _ thank you. _

“We _ are _ talking,” Tony snarled, “And I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with this! I was being a brat, and I got punished, don’t tell me _ you _never got in trouble!”

“I got put into time out like a normal person! Do you _ genuinely _think that how you were treated was normal?”

Uh, _ yeah? _ Getting hit or locked somewhere was definitely normal punishments. The other stuff? That was his dad being a good dad and teaching him the ways of the trade, it was Tony’s own fault that he was so much of a baby that he had nightmares about his lessons (he _ still _couldn’t take things handed to him.)

Tony remained silent, too pissed at Rhodey, and worried about the niggling doubt in the back of his mind, to talk. The lack of an answer apparently enough for Rhodey, as he sighed and shook his head, running a hand over his scalp. “Tones. That isn't normal I _promise_ you,” he looked down at the table and swallowed, as if he couldn’t believe that he had to say it, “locking you up in closets, _hitting you._ That’s abuse.”

Tony gaped. Was Rhodey delusional or something? “Uh, I’m pretty sure it’s not, Honeybear. Abuse is when a guy hits his girlfriend.”

“_ No, _ abuse is when, it’s-- it’s when you treat someone cruelly. Your relationship with the person doesn’t matter.”

Tony huffed out a laugh, because that didn’t make any sense. Of course your relationship with the person ‘abusing’ you mattered. If your boyfriend was hitting you, all you had to do was leave. Tony couldn't do that with his parents. Didn't _ need _ to do that because his parents weren’t abusing him! Why _ couldn’t _ Rhodey _ get _ that?

“My parents don’t treat me cruelly!” he screamed, and suddenly he was standing over Rhodey and his fists were clenched and he was just _ tired, okay? _ He was terrified of the closet, of howard, just wanted his mother to _ care about him _ , _ and he just needed to have that little semblance of control, needed to convince himself that it was all his fault, that it was normal, because if it wasn’t-- _

_ If it wasn’t-- _

Then his parents really did hate him, just like Ty says, and if it wasn’t his fault, then there was _ nothing _ he could do to change that.

A moment passed, then two, then Tony realised that he’d been standing over Rhodey as if he was about to hurt him. Rhodey was looking up at him, unafraid. They both knew who would win in a fight. Tony might have had mandatory self defence lessons after his third kidnapping, but Rhodey had ROTC training, and he was both older and larger than Tony. If they ever come to blows, Rhodey would win, probably always would, unless one of them built a suit of armour or something.

But it wasn't about strength, Tony realised. It was about trust. Rhodey _ trusted _ that Tony would _ never _ willingly hurt him. He _ trusted _ Tony to come back to himself in time, to be _ better _, and the force of the revelation was enough to knock him breathless.

He slumped back into his seat.

“Tones--”

“Stop. I just--I’m _ tired, _Rhodey. I just want to go to bed.”

Tony wasn’t sure if he was actually tired, or just wanted to be alone, or if he was talking about something else entirely.

Rhodey nodded, as if he understood, and maybe he did, maybe he cared about Tony more than he had dared let himself hope. Maybe he was the first person since Jarvis had died, to _ see _him, pass the grotesque part of him, and into the barely recognizable pieces of him that, maybe just a little, might deserve love? 

But he was tired right now, and he slowly made his way into bed and curled under the covers. There were a few moments of silence, before the sound of Rhodey typing onto their shitty computer filled the air. Tony’s eyes suddenly got incredibly heavy. Maybe that meant he was safe.  


* * *

A few days later, after he had finished babysitting his little cousin, Tony broke into the library. Accompanied with nothing but a torch, he researched every definition of abuse he could get his hands on until his fingers were sore. In the dark, his face illuminated by artificial light, Tony wiped away the tears that definitely weren’t rolling down his face, that weren't dripping off of his chin and falling onto the pages of the book underneath him.

**Author's Note:**

> Me: oh, sure I’ll start writing a prequel immediately! It’s gonna be long!
> 
> Also me: doesn’t post for a year, and when i do, it isn’t even multichaptered.
> 
> And ya wanna know the real kicker? I spent the better part of 2019 trying to wrestle that other fic into submission, and then I wrote this in a few weeks. Ah well, can’t force what isn’t meant to be. At least this is 2,000 words you didn’t have yesterday, I guess.
> 
> If you want me to write more for this verse, give me some ideas, and then be prepared to wait for A Very Long Time


End file.
